Acute Myocardial Infarction

Anastomosis

Angina Pectoris

a.k.a. Cardiac Pain... It is chest pain, which may radiate to the left arm, jaw, & neck, caused by lack of oxygen to the heart muscle often due to narrowing of the coronary arteries as a result of plaque buildup. Symptoms can be relieved by nitroglycerin tablets, which cause the coronary artieries to dilate allowing more oxygennated blood to reach the heart.

Angioplasty & Stents

An operation to repair a damaged blood vessel or unblock a coronary artery by inserting a small balloon into the vessel or artery. Once positioned, the balloon is inflated which stretches the artery open & flattens the palque mass. Sometimes it is necessary to insert a metal mesh tube (_____) afterwards to keep the vessel/artery from colapsing & becoming blocked again.

Arch of the Aorta (AOTA)

Arrhythmia

Irregular Heart Beat... any deviation from a normal heart rhythm - There are several kinds including bradycardia (slow hartrate of less than 60 beats/minute) & tachycardia (fast heartrate of greater than 100 beats/minute)

Atherosclerosis

Atrioventricular (AV) Node

The 2nd major region of specialized nerve tissue in the heart; it is located in the lower portion of the right atrium between the left & right atria. Electrical impulses are delayed for about 0.1 second b4 spreading to both ventricles & causing them to contract.

Cerebral Circulation

Congestive Heart Failure

Congenital Heart Disease

Condition that is present at birth in which the heart fails to develop porperly. 2 common defects include Septal Defect (a hole in either septum betw. the left & right sides of the heart - pumping is reduced) & Stenosis Of The Heart Valves (Heart valves develope w/ a narrowed opening - causes ventricles to work harder than normal to pump blood or bloodlflow backup into the left atrium & lungs).

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Loss of ability of the heart to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet the demands of the body, resulting in an accumulation of blood in the ventricles at the end of each cardiac cycle which leads to an increase in intracardiac pressure & usually causes 1 ventricle to fail before the other. When the right ventricle fails 1st, blood swells in vessels leading to the heart - this causes peripheral edema & symptoms such as swelling o fthe feet & ankles; when the left ventricle fails 1st, blood swells in the lungs - this causes pulmonary edema which can lead to suffocation & death.

Coronary Circulation

Coronary Heart Disease

Reduced bloodflow due to the clogging of the coronary arteries that nourish the heart muscle; this can cause pain in the chest, left arm, &/or shoulder known as angina pectoris. This inadequate blood flow can also lead to a myocardial infarction or heart attack. If the area of damaged tissue is large enough, death can result; however if the area is small, the heart can function despite its weakened condition.

Heart Failure

Heart Murmur

An abnormal sound in the heart akin to a fluttering or humming sound like a gentle blowing. It is produced by defects in the chambers or valves such as w/ an incompetent heart valve or when there is a stenosis.

Hypertension

High Blood Pressure, a common disorder in which blood pressure remains abnormally high (a reading of 140/90 mm Hg or greater). It can lead to an enlargement of the heart which can cause heart failure; it can be caused by many factors including anemia, heredity, hyperthyroidism, chronic infections, malnutrition, & old age.

Lumen

Mitral Valve

Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome

When 1 or both valves of the bicuspid valves billow upward (________) & project back into the left atrium during systole (contraction of the ventricles). It can be congential or caused by bacterial endocarditis or rheumatic fever. This can be corrected by performing surgery to replacing the defective valve w/ an artificial valve.

Myocardial Infarction

A Heart Attack... The destruction of heart muscle tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle due to blockage of a coronary artery, which can occure from plaque buildup, a coronary spasm, or a thrombosis (unwanted clotting). Symptoms include great crushing pain of pressure in the chest (sometimes referred to by patients as an elephant sitting on their chest), & pain radiating down the left arm or up into the neck & jaw. This is followed by nausea, clamminess, shortness of breath, turning ashen in color, & feling faint.

Right Ventricle

Sinoatrial (SA) Node/Pacemaker

Sinus Atrium - A nose has lg room w/ a glass ceiling sticking out of it & there's a bunch of nervous pacemakers waiting for people transplants inside the room
| The 1st major region of specialized nerve tissue in the heart - located in the right atrium. It initiates the cardiac cycle & sets the pace for the heart rate.